PlaymoFriends
Creative => How-To => Topic started by: tonguello on March 21, 2011, 01:35:22
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This thread in fact should be called, "How to TRY to make things Playmobil-like?"
All ideas come from need, they say. Here in Buenos Aires it is not easy to get PM spare parts (not to mention DS parts). It is not easy either, not to say impossible to get 1/12 scale doll house stuff.
So I have to work with what I have. Therefore the need to transform certain things that are not PM at all and don't fit the scale or the PM look.
As a Victorian fan I'm always trying to expand my collection and my accessories. So I was THRILLED to came across the most unusual items in the most unusual place.
I found some pencil sharpeners that are very Victorian and beautifully detailed. Of course they needed work.
Here is a pic. The one on the left is the original. Cute looking but kinda tacky. The white balls had ruff edges and looked "plastiky". So the first thing I did was change them for some bigger wood spheres that are better scaled and made the central one bigger that the rest to fit better the architectural style of the era.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/1.jpg)
What was needed then was the right scale. As it was, the post lamp was about 12cmts tall when I needed it to be around 20cmts. So the best option was to create a stone base, again to fit height and Victorian look.
The base is very simple. Just a wooden cube, some cartboard and foamboard. Here are a couple of pics to see the step by step process.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/2.jpg) (http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/3.jpg)
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/4.jpg) (http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/5.jpg) (http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/6.jpg)
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/7.jpg)
And this is what the whole lamp would look like. Now better in shape and scale. Then a pic with a clicky to show PM scale.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/8.jpg) (http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/9.jpg)
Now color. I tried the base to look the more similar as possible to the color on the 5300 house. Didn't want to make a color but to use it as it comes in order to be able to match future lamps. Here is the base painted.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/10.jpg)
Traditionally in Buenos Aires post lamps were English green or black. I decided to go for English green to make them look more sophisticated.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/11.jpg)
Of course the wooden balls were supposed to be glass so I painted them shiny white.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/12.jpg) (http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/13.jpg)
And the "piece de resistance" or the cherry of the cake, are the golden finials on the top of the glass globes.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/14.jpg) (http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/15.jpg)
I had this things for years, from when I had to make a scaled model building when I studied architecture. They are bra holders. Yep... they hold (at least then, they were sold for that) the strings of invisible bras. And they make the perfect finishing for my lamps.
I hope this help others to put their imagination working and find the right use for the most unusual stuff and TRY to make them look palymobil suitable.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/Victorian%20Lamplight/16.jpg)
:wave:
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Fantastic job Gaston! :wow: Very ornate creation you have accomplished! Thank you for sharing this project with us!
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Those look fantastic, Gaston! Thank you for showing us how you did it! It's really cool.
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Absolutely gorgeous Gaston! Bravo! (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/luwerner/gif/notworthy.gif) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/luwerner/gif/notworthy.gif) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/luwerner/gif/notworthy.gif)
They look PERFECT!
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This really proves that Necessity is the mother of invention! Brilliant work, Gaston. Thanks so much for sharing your success.
Joe
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They are wonderful Gaston, :clap: :clap: :clap: :wow: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Thank you for showing us how you made them.
(I must admit though that I really can't get my head around "holders for strings of invisible bras" 8} ??? ;D - even more so how you came to buy them! ;) :lol:)
Elaine (http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/mgqueen.gif)
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(I must admit though that I really can't get my head around "holders for strings of invisible bras" 8} ??? ;D - even more so how you came to buy them! ;) :lol:)
I guess I didn't read carefully enough the first time; I just now saw that statement. What in the world does that mean? ???
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They are wonderful Gaston, :clap: :clap: :clap: :wow: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Thank you for showing us how you made them.
(I must admit though that I really can't get my head around "holders for strings of invisible bras" 8} ??? ;D - even more so how you came to buy them! ;) :lol:)
Elaine (http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/mgqueen.gif)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Thank you all!
OK , I don't know how to explain it. Here "invisible bra" is the kind of bra that has very thin and transparent strings, so you can barely notice it even if the strings ARE visible :lol:. The holders of those strings therefore must be very small and have a "jewelry" look. And that's it. How I found them is another story.
I was at college and had to make a scale model of a tensor structure. And a friend of mine came up with this idea.
Maybe if I post a pic of the real thing you can understand it more.... brb!
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hope these are illustrative enough. is something like what necklaces have too.
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Magnificent! :clap: :clap:
Your stuff is art! :wow:
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:omg: :omg: :omg: Magnificent work Gaston!! Exceptional result!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Thank you for sharing this idea!!!
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:)9 Well done a wonderful transformation!
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Thanks, Gaston, for that great step-by-step description - the result is beautiful! Are you an architect or engineer? You certainly have some serious model-making skills (I have many memories of helping my husband make elements for models when he was an architecture student many years ago, not to mention a disastrous snub dodecahedron model for engineering class. :o )
So many folks have great success with non-Playmobil items in their displays - Playmovictorian and Emma come to mind, and I am probably forgetting many others. I keep a box of stuff that I think would be useful in this way but I have never gotten around to doing much with it since my kids have grown up. :-\
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Magnificant!!
They are really works of art. Can't wait to see them in your photo stories!
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oh!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o these are very nice gaston bravo!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Thank you all! I'm glad you liked them and I hope it helps.-
@Indianna. yes Im an architect, but since very little I have been involved in model making. I used to make 1/24 scale plane models, then I switch to cars, etc. I don't consider myself excellent, but Im very good I think becuase I've been dealing with it since I'm 6!
I do remember making a model of a dodecahedron too, with wire and plastic strings! Wow! what memories! :lol: :lol:
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. . . I do remember making a model of a dodecahedron too, with wire and plastic strings! Wow! what memories! :lol: :lol:
Ours involved toothpicks and a balloon - don't ask! :lol:
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Beautiful work Gaston, a great transformation.
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Wow those look beautiful, great job on making them and thanks for the how to pictures
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Those lamps are a beautiful and very realistic re-creation of the lamps of the time - wonderful and very creative work. Thanks for sharing.
You mention 1:12 scale, but Playmobil is nearer 1:24 scale, which doesn't help at all as this scale is rarer still in the world of doll houses.
Invisible bra straps! Hmmm! When we were last on holiday in Malta (that's 2009) the fashion was for transparent shoulder straps on bras, although they were surprisingly noticeable! 8}
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Yeah, that's what first came to my mind -- clear straps. But I'm still trying to figure out exactly what it means. :lol:
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Those lamps are a beautiful and very realistic re-creation of the lamps of the time - wonderful and very creative work. Thanks for sharing.
You mention 1:12 scale, but Playmobil is nearer 1:24 scale, which doesn't help at all as this scale is rarer still in the world of doll houses.
Invisible bra straps! Hmmm! When we were last on holiday in Malta (that's 2009) the fashion was for transparent shoulder straps on bras, although they were surprisingly noticeable! 8}
Thank you Gordon!
Is it 1/24?? I thought it was 1/12, doll house stuff works so well IMO. I mean... from what I see at Karim's.
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Thank you Gordon!
Is it 1/24?? I thought it was 1/12, doll house stuff works so well IMO. I mean... from what I see at Karim's.
A klicky is roughly 7.5cm tall which works out at 1.8m at 1:24 or 1.7m at 1:22.5, which are the two nearest scales to Playmobil. Of course, the scale is mainly height related. You are quite right to say that many 1:12 doll house accessories work well with Playmobil, but the doll houses themselves are much too big. I find that 1:24 items are often too small (or at least seem so) but 1:16, especially doors and windows in custom built buildings are OK.
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A klicky is roughly 7.5cm tall which works out at 1.8m at 1:24 or 1.7m at 1:22.5, which are the two nearest scales to Playmobil. Of course, the scale is mainly height related. You are quite right to say that many 1:12 doll house accessories work well with Playmobil, but the doll houses themselves are much too big. I find that 1:24 items are often too small (or at least seem so) but 1:16, especially doors and windows in custom built buildings are OK.
That is great information, Gordon. Thank you so much.
Joe
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Hey y'all!
I'm bringing this thread back because after 5 years the white paint in the wooden spheres got yellowed so I updated the lamposts.
Here is the new version, and some pics for scale.
The spheres are now clear acrilic. Love them.
Cheers!
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/17_zpsh63zwhva.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/tonguello/media/17_zpsh63zwhva.jpg.html)
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/18_zpsq98ku8qw.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/tonguello/media/18_zpsq98ku8qw.jpg.html)
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb432/tonguello/19_zpsqmxv4vzz.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/tonguello/media/19_zpsqmxv4vzz.jpg.html)
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It looks superb and quite in scale.
I have been trying to find time to review the re-released lamp post which I think is oversize.
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I remember this thread from back in '11; those lamps are amazing, Gaston and even better with the clear spheres!
They certainly match the 'real' PM street lamp in height, though playmofire may be right that they are oversize.
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I think the custom ones are closer to scale because in real life, the fancy 3-bulb lampposts are bigger than the lampposts in the style PM made. The PM ones seem kind of fat.
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Very very nice :love:
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They certainly match the 'real' PM street lamp in height, though playmofire may be right that they are oversize.
It's the real PM lamppost which I think is too tall. Gaston's lamps look spot-on and would look superb on a promenade.
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Thanks guys!
I also think the original Pm lampost is out of scale, not as much in height as in width. As someone said, it is TOO fat.
Also agreed that mine is the sort of light feature you might find in a promenade more than in a street or a plaza and as it is more "baroque" and it is supposed to be more "monumental" doesn't seem so huge.
The base of the original lampost is determined by the size of the AA battery but the "neck" could be slimmer and the lantern could be smaller without loosing proportion. :-\ I don't think there is another technical reason for the size, beyond the AA battery.
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The base has to be fat, so that it won't topple over easily. The new lamp posts are the same, minus the electronics.